Chapter 25: Confucianism—Self-Castration in Service of the Monarch

In the afternoon, shortly after dinner, Li Nian was summoned again by Ying Zheng.

Li Nian was not surprised. To Ying Zheng, he was a novelty, a source of many unique insights; it was only natural that he would be brought in for questioning daily.

It was the same palace as their first meeting, and Meng Yi was still in attendance by Ying Zheng’s side. However, compared to their first and second encounters, the atmosphere between Ying Zheng and Li Nian had grown much more familiar.

After Li Nian offered his salutations, Ying Zheng pointed to a prepared seat in the hall: "Sit."

"I thank your Majesty for the seat."

No sooner had Li Nian sat down than Ying Zheng began: "I am deeply curious about the conversation you had with Su Xu today; that is why I have summoned you."

Li Nian was not taken aback. "It is my honor to resolve your Majesty’s doubts. Whatever I know, I shall tell you."

Having perused the bamboo slips detailing the dialogue between Li Nian and Su Xu, Ying Zheng had spent much of the day reflecting, contemplating reasons why Legalism might be insufficient to govern the Great Qin. Yet, if these reasons held true, was the Great Qin not already in peril? And if Legalism could not govern the Qin of this era, what school of thought should be employed instead? This was why Ying Zheng had called for him.

Ying Zheng posed his first question: "I observe that you seem to hold the Confucian school in low regard. Did they perhaps commit some act in the history of the future?"

Li Nian replied: "Your Majesty is perceptive. The Confucian school holds a position of great importance in Chinese history, with profound influence. This influence has had both merits and demerits, but from the perspective of one standing in the future, I believe the harm it caused outweighs the good."

Ying Zheng asked: "How harmful?"

Li Nian did not answer immediately. Instead, he said: "Before I clear your Majesty’s doubts regarding the Confucians, I have a question I dare to ask of you."

Ying Zheng replied: "Speak freely. I grant you immunity! From now on, you may speak your mind plainly; I will not punish you for your words."

*Really? I don't believe you!*

If I told you that Lao Ai had slept with your mother, would you still not punish me? Li Nian dared only think this in his heart. He said instead: "My question is this: In your Majesty’s view, what are the Hundred Schools of Thought? You must answer from your own perspective as a monarch!"

*To think of the Hundred Schools from the perspective of a monarch?*

As expected of the first sovereign in Chinese history to claim the title of Emperor, Ying Zheng realized the answer Li Nian was leading him toward after only a moment of contemplation.

He looked at Li Nian and asked: "You mean to suggest that in the eyes of a monarch like me, the Hundred Schools are merely tools for governing the world?"

Li Nian nodded. "Exactly. In later ages, they were viewed as tools for feudal governance, and since they are tools, naturally, one uses whatever is most convenient and most beneficial to oneself."

Ying Zheng asked: "Are you saying the Confucian school became a tool for the monarchs of the future?"

Now that the point had been made, a new question arose: if the Confucians became a tool, what of the other schools?

"Yes. During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, the Confucian scholar Dong Zhongshu submitted a petition to the Emperor to 'discard all other schools and revere only Confucianism.' From that point on, Confucianism gradually became the most dominant school in the world—the only one!"

Ying Zheng recalled that in the prophecy Li Nian had recited, the Han dynasty followed the Qin. Was Emperor Wu the monarch of that dynasty? The Han did not seem so impressive if they had a ruler foolish enough to listen to a scholar like Dong Zhongshu and suppress all other schools in favor of Confucianism alone.

Li Nian continued: "The reason Confucianism became a tool for monarchs is that they underwent a self-transformation to suit the needs of imperial rule. Otherwise, ever since the Spring and Autumn period, why had no monarch ever used Confucianism to govern the state?"

"In short, the Confucian school transformed itself into a tool fit for a monarch's use."

"Only by doing so could it stand out among the hundreds of schools and provide the foundation for a monarch to 'discard all others and revere only Confucianism.'"

"Once it became a tool, the monarch naturally sought to refine it further for greater convenience, and the Confucians, eager to please, continued to reshape themselves."

"In this way, Confucianism became increasingly favorable to imperial rule, but the more it served the monarch, the less it served the people of the world!"

This statement sent a shock through Ying Zheng. He stared at Li Nian, the implication clear: what did he mean by saying it became "less suitable for the people of the world"?

Feeling the weight of Ying Zheng’s gaze, Li Nian felt his scalp tingle. He could not lie; the price of lying would be far greater than the price of the truth, so he braced himself and continued.

"To a monarch, using Confucianism to govern is a good thing, because the transformed Confucian ideology is highly beneficial to them. For instance, in the rites and moral hierarchies established by the Confucians, they emphasize 'Heaven, Earth, Sovereign, Parent, and Teacher.' Aside from Heaven and Earth, the Sovereign stands above all."

Ying Zheng raised an eyebrow. From a monarch’s perspective, this was perfectly fine. Although "Heaven and Earth" preceded the Sovereign, they did not speak, leaving the Sovereign effectively supreme. He did not yet know that the Confucians also coupled this with the theory of "the interaction between Heaven and mankind," which claimed that if disasters occurred, it was surely Heaven scolding the sovereign for his failures.

"Furthermore, in the rites codified by the Confucians, every person has a fixed place in a rigid hierarchy. This stabilizes society and prevents turmoil."

This, too, sounded fine to Ying Zheng. Was social stability not a good thing?

"The transformed Confucianism also possesses the ingenious function of imprisoning the human mind. First, its rites and moral codes become the social order, which everyone must obey. Second, because it is the ideology sanctioned by the monarch, one must study it to serve in the government."

"As a result, many brilliant minds were drawn to these classics. They spent their entire lives studying them, leaving them with no energy to think about anything else. If they do not think, they do not cause trouble."

Hearing this, Ying Zheng felt he understood. Confucianism was so beneficial to the monarch that it granted them excessive power. If the ruler was wise, it was well and good, but if the ruler was foolish, this system could easily lead a dynasty astray.

"But for the nation and its people, this transformed Confucianism was not a blessing; it severely hindered national and ethnic development."

"It suppressed the growth of other schools, turning our national intellect into stagnant water, devoid of vitality. It siphoned off the most brilliant talents, leaving other fields lacking, which stifled technological progress..."

"To blame the Confucian school for all of history's problems is surely wrong, but in many matters, the blame cannot be avoided. Confucianism has influenced Chinese history for over two thousand years!"

In modern times, it was often said that many monarchs ruled with a "Confucian exterior and Legalist interior." They did not truly follow Confucianism, but the vast majority of people in the feudal era could not see the bones beneath; they only knew the skin, living under the shadow of Confucian thought and shackled by its doctrines.

*Confucianism actually influenced two thousand years of Chinese history?*

Ying Zheng was stunned. Over such an immense expanse of time, Confucianism had remained the sole dominant force. One could see just how much it was revered by later monarchs, and just how beneficial it was to them.